Heney clay tunis



FLOORING, WAINSG 0000000 e.

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y lUNr'rn HENRY CLAY TUNIS, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

FLOORING, WAlNsCoTlNG, sbc.

.FECIEICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 304,584, datedSeptember 2, 1884.

Application filed June 10,1884. (No model.)

[0 all whom it may concern- Be it known that I, HENRY CLAY TUNIS, acitizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the county ofBaltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain new andnsefulImprovements in Flooring, Vainscoting, &e., of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inmanufactured lumber for iiooring, ceiling,wainscoting, and the like. Asheretofore made the boards have been provided with tongues whose edgesin cross-section form the arc of a circle, thereby presenting a blunttermination, while the thickness of the tongues is substantially thesame across their entire width. These boards are also provided with agroove on the opposite edge to that on which the tongue is formed, thegroove, however, generally being of rectangular form in cross-section.As thus constructed, itvhas been ascertained by actual trial thatdifficulty is frequently experienced in getting such tongue to readilyenter thc groove of the adjacent board, which is due, primarily, to theblunt shape of the tongue, and, secondly, to the inequality in theseasoning of the different strips. By my improved lumber, however, thedifficulty 'thus arising is practically obviated, for the reasons whichwill more fully hereinafter appear.

My invention has for its object-s, first, to provide the lumber with atongue ofI such shape or configuration that it will more readily enterthe groove of theadjacent strip in the act of laying ooring,wainscoting, ceiling, 8vo.; and, second, to provide such lumber with atongue on one edge of such shape or configuration that it will morereadily enter the groove of the adjacent strip, and on the other edgewith` a groove having a flaring mouth or entrance, whereby the operationof uniting such material may be more readily effected in layingiiooring, wainscoting, ceiling, and the like.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andon which like letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding,features, Figure 1 represents a transverse sectional view of a strip oflumber formed into a board having` my improved tongue; and Fig. -2, alike view of two boards,

showing the same united and provided with my improved tongue and groove.

The letter A designatesastrip of lumber formed or fashioned into a boardfor iooring, wainscoting, or ceiling purposes. On one edge this board isprovided in its manufacture with a tongue, B, having its outer edges orcorners cut away, so as to converge and meet or nearly meet each otherat or about the center of the tongue. As a consequence'of this bevelingor cutting away the edges of the tongue, the latter is given a taperingconfiguration in crosssection, the angle or degree of the saidinclination being such as may be found best in practice. The preferredangle, however, is that of forty-tive degrees.

The letter D designates the groove, which in some instances I also formon the opposite edge of the board to that occupied by the tongue. Thisgroove, as represented at E, has its outer corners or edges beveledcorrespondingly or approximately correspondingly to the tongue. Theinner wall or termination of the groove may, if desired, be formed so asto correspond in shape with the outer edge of the tongue, as seen indotted lines. This beveling of the edges of the groove and cutting awayof the inner wall thereof may, however, be omitted, and the groove incross-section allowed to retain its usual parallelogrammatic form, sinceI have ascertained by actual trial that my improved tongue can be usedwith great advan` tage with such usual form of groove.

4It is to be observed that in consequence of the tapering configurationof the tongue it will more readily and easily enter the groove of aboard in the act of laying the several structures in whichtongue-and-groove boards are used. I

It sometimes happens that in consequence of the roughness on the innerwall of the groove or the outer edge of the tongue as ordinarily made itis difficult to make one board drive up close to the next, so as to makea tight joint. Vith my improved form of tongue such difficulty isobviated, if met with by battering or indenting the sharp edge of thetongue, which, owing to its shape, is easily done.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

ICO

l. As a new article of manufacture, the herein-descrloed board, having atongue with parin-deseriloed board, having on one edge thereof allelsides and beveled off on the corners to a tongue constructed withparallel sides and form a point, and a groove constructed with 15beveled off on the corners to forin a point, and parallel walls, andhaving its outer corners 5 on the other edge thereof a groove withparbeveled or out away.

allel walls. In testimony whereof I afx my signature in 2. As anewarticle of manufacture, theherepresence of two Witnesses. in-describedboard, having a groove in one edge thereof constructed with parallelwalls, HENRY CLAY TUNIS 1o and having its outer corners beveled or cut IWitnesses: 'l

away. EDWIN L. BRADFORD,

3. As anew article of manufacture, theherc- JAMDs M. DURAND

